Democrats: 59% Now Identify as Liberal, Up from 30% in 1976

CNN analyst Harry Enten reports that 59% of Democrats now self-identify as liberal, compared with about 30% in 1976, and that overall self-identified liberalism is at a 50-year high; Gallup's most recent quarter shows an eight-point party ID advantage for Democrats.

CNN data analyst Harry Enten discussed new polling figures about how Americans describe their political ideology and which party they identify with. Enten said the share of Democrats who call themselves liberal has risen to 59 percent, a level he described as the highest since polls reaching back to 1976. He noted that overall self-identified liberalism is at a 50-year high and that the margin between conservatives and liberals has narrowed compared with several decades ago. Enten also cited recent party identification readings and prediction markets as part of the broader context ahead of the midterm elections. Key figures: - Enten reported that 59% of Democrats now identify as liberal, based on polling he reviewed dating back to 1976. - In 1976, Enten said about 30% of Democrats identified as liberal. - Enten described overall self-identified liberalism as a 50-year high and said the conservative lead over liberals has narrowed to seven points from a larger advantage in the past. - According to Enten’s account, Gallup's most recent quarter showed an eight-point party ID advantage for Democrats. - Enten noted that prediction markets such as Kalshi were showing about a 77% probability that Democrats would retake the House. Summary: The reporting highlights a notable increase in the share of Democrats who describe themselves as liberal and a related shift in party identification readings. How these changes will affect outcomes in the upcoming midterm elections is undetermined at this time.